It was a flying start for Nigeria’s premier soccer showcase club, Green Lock FC, as they got their official club Cup competition underway with a superb 2-1 win over their opponent NA Royals FC at the ongoing 2023 NLO Cup in Kano.
Head Coach, Eedris Bolarinwa expressed delight with the win and thanked the organizers for the opportunity given to Green Lock FC to be part of the competition. He noted that the game produced moments of brilliance, high tensity and so much quality, even as he vowed to improve areas where there were lapses ahead of the team’s next game.
“Let me first of all appreciate the organizers of the tournament and the opportunity they gave us to be part of this competition”
“You can see that the game is of quality and high intensity, where both teams showcased their talents. I am pleased with this win and we will now focus on our next game”
Meanwhile, team captain Toyeeb Sulaiman said beyond being excited, that the team will continue to make the management proud. He believes they will continue to churn out such results so as to move forward in the tournament.
“We are so happy, myself, all the players including the coaches, we made the management proud. We pray that this should continues so that we can move forward in the tournament”
It was a keenly contested encounter especially in the early exchanges, but Green Lock FC was more focused and business minded in getting the job done as they dominated every aspect of the game and would have scored a half dozen goals if they had taken their chances.
Adeyeye Damilola broke the deadlock by converting from the penalty spot to give Green Lock FC a 1-0 lead in the 23rd minute after an NA Royals defender clipped and haplessly tripped Enoch Eneche in the box.
Unfortunately for Green Lock FC, all their hard work couldn’t give them a clean sheet before half time, as NA Royals FC forwards made a beautiful link up play to beat resilient goalkeeper Moses Sulaiman to restore parity in the 47th minute, leaving the game 1-1 at half time.
On resumption, Onyedika Phillips was not lucky enough to have put his team ahead in the 57th min, as he missed a glorious one on one situation from a close proximity with the goalkeeper.
And after a long period of asking many questions in opposition’s vital area, second half substitute Mustapha Usman finally made it 2 for Green Lock FC from a rebound, after he simply tapped in a spill over ball by opposition’s goalkeeper to make it 2-1 at regulation time.
Green Lock FC will face Kwankwasiya FC on the 27th of November by 12 noon in a Match Day 2 encounter of the ongoing NLO Cup at the Sani Abacha stadium in Kano.
Pius Idoko (Media Officer, Green Lock FC)
